When you live just over 4000 miles away from Walt Disney World with trips planned yearly or worse still every few years – how do you cope?

A couple of years ago WDW Radio listener Emma Godbold met up with Lou Mongello in EPCOT and together they toured and recorded their views on the pavilion. Show 202, broadcast on 27th December 2010 since has become one of my personal favourite episodes. Shortly after, Emma created a UK sub-group, of like-minded Disney fans, who listened to Lou’s show. We chatted via the forums on WDW Radio and our own dedicated Facebook page.

In 2011, on a rare sunny day, some of us met up in London. Friendships were formed and earlier this year, we had a second such meet. Since that time I have had the pleasure to make an array of new friendships and it is these friendships, initially based on our mutual love of Disney, that have grown in to something really special–such as sharing holidays tips to coming together to celebrate events in each others life.

As I type I have just returned from a small meet up of friends, in the quaint UK city of Lincoln. We marveled at the UK phone and post box that oh we knew was so much cleaner in EPCOT. We jumped with joy at the possibility of finding Disney t-shirts in a non-Disney store and we partook in a celebratory lunch in a BBQ restaurant and imagined we really were at the Flame Tree BBQ.

This gathering of friends was made possible because we all chose to listen to a podcast, of a regular guy who wanted to share his love of Disney. I’m sure Lou, as he started the show, he never realised his words would bond people so far away. Well it has. So how do you cope with living over 4000 miles away from WDW? Mileage does not hinder your passion if you are prepared to reach out and find others.

Michelle Tate Young is co-host of The Minnie Minxes Disney Podcast, UK Disney dreamer and obsessive holiday planner! To find out more about the Minxes, follow us on Twitter, @theminnieminxes, like us on Facebook and read our blog http://theminnieminxes.blogspot.co.uk but most importantly listen to our Disney Podcast – go on it’s worth it for our quirky accents!

This is a fantastic post. Lou and his passion of all things Disney have brought so many folks together. I got to follow some of your adventure in Lincoln via Emma’s twitter. The photos she posted were so very cool to look at. That Lincoln cathedral is amazing!

It truly is wonderful that one man (perhaps that should be two….Walt and Lou) could bring complete strangers together who end up becoming best of friends 🙂
For anyone else who wants to connect you can find me on Twitter @pinkemmauk 🙂

Get your free book

Think you have done it all in Walt Disney World? Here are 102 Things that you may not have experienced before!